Whirlwind Texas visit

Last week I went to Texas for a what could be considered one of the best weeks I have had in months. There really was not much I didn't get to do in one week - it was the perfect week to fly on down to Waco.
Here was what my week looked like:

Monday - 7pm arrive in the middle of a sleet storm to be greeted by these two lovely faces.

Lisa and Aniyah

Tuesday - I borrowed Lisa's car to go visit Methodist Children's Home to see my old co-workers and my boss offered me a job for the week. Then I drove by the church to see Shawn, Monica and Melissa - Jon's old co-workers who were setting up for the Christmas store. This is a store our church does every year where we sell gifts at about 10% of the cost to urban families we work with during the year. It is AMAZING!! That night I volunteered at the Christmas store along with some others from my old Lifegroup and got to see many of the families I used to work with on Friday nights. At the end of the night we got to run to the store to replenish the store for the next night (who doesn't love shopping with other people's money?).
Wednesday - I went to work! Yep I took my old boss up on his offer since I had my nights planned but open days and made some money on my trip. It was so fun to get to go back during the Christmas rush and remember the good, bad, and ugly of working in a non-profit during the holiday times. Because I got to be there working I got to have much better conversations with friends instead of the 5 minutes I visited on Tuesday. It really was a joy to get to work and I realize how much I miss it but I wouldn't give up life in Alaska with Jon for anything!!
That night Lifegroup Christmas PARTY. What could be better??

The girls of LG (and me)

Thursday: Work again during the day and that night an impromptu shower thrown by some girls from church. I got to see so many friends in this one setting it was GREAT!! It made me a little sad that Molly won't get to grow up around these women that all mean so much to me but I know we will visit and really everywhere we go we will get to be around other great ladies.

Mandy made a Noah's Ark cake for us (this is the theme of our room).

Yes that is a boat ontop made of cake! AMAZINGMichele, Me and Tonja

So I wasn't so good at taking pictures during the week but there is one of me at the shower with the Carpenter's. I hung out with Michele for the past year and Tonja and her husband run the Feast a ministry for urban families that Jon and I volunteered at on Fridays for 6 years.
Friday - Babysit for the Dunn's - Annie had her first school Christmas party so I got to hang out with Josh and Emily - we had a blast!!! It was just like I was back to normal life this time last year except this time I knew to cherish each moment with friends because who knows when I will see them again.

Emily

That night I got to go to the Feast and see William (who is a transient)- one of Jon and my very good friends. I met William while working at Labor Ready and he is so different from us but such an amazing person to learn some things from. We have spent holidays with him for the past few years - so it is sad that we won't be doing that this year.
Saturday - I borrowed a car and went to Dallas to visit some of my college roommates and there kids. Stina, Steph (Dave) and I met at Chili's and talked for a few hours and their two little kiddos sat in the highchairs the entire time without much of a fuss!!! That night I hung out with the Morales family and we went looking at Christmas lights (pictures of the most ridiculously decorated house to come) with some windows down (to get the cold effect) while drinking co-co. It was so much fun to go through Waco and remember last year when Jon and I drove all over looking at the lights - some nice and some crazy!!
Sunday - CHURCH!!!!! I loved going to ACC for 10 years and it has been hard not to compare other churches but I must say I love worship at this church!! I have never been to another church that makes it so easy for me to worship the Lord and not think about anything else. And the preaching is great - even though sometimes it touches too close to home. This week I couldn't tell you everything Jimmy said but he did say that - Fear is not from the Lord - there are over 365 verses on fear not - one for each day of the year and then some extra. Let's just say that was what I really needed knowing Jon will leave for a year and I realized I have a few more fears than I would like to admit but I am going to make my own devo with at least 365 fear not verses so I can read a new one each day! I also love that ACC has a ministry team up front each week to pray for people!! The rest of the day I got to chill with the Miller's. I slept - ate my last On The Border chips and salsa and health camp chocolate peanut butter milkshake and slept some more.
Monday - we got up at 4am and headed to the airport - make it with 1 1/2 hours for me to check in my luggage and get on my plane - the lines were crazy and I did not make it to my plane - I watched it backing out - along with 15 other passengers who didn't plan on it taking over 1 1/2 hours to check luggage and go through security. But never fear 3 flights and no luggage later I made it home - we went back later that night and got my luggage.

Now for my whirlwind visit of family with Jon!!
Today I go to the doctor because I found out I have gestational diabetes so my diet will probably be changing drastically after 12:15 today and then I go to the airport and pick up JON!!!! I am so excited!